Adventures in Minimalism - Counting Everything I Own

Minimising is something I do all the time. It started when I was 13 and I've never looked back. Today, as I was reading Denise Duffield-Thomas' book, Get Rich Lucky B*, I came across this advice:

It's her formula for setting yourself up for financial abundance. It works. I've always found that whenever I want more of something, the first thing I have to do is declutter as much as I can - mentally, physically, digitally. The process of getting rid of stuff literally makes room for something new to come in.

So right after I read this, I decided to do another decluttering sweep. The result? A smaller book collection. I set aside about 50 books to give away, letting go of whatever I just never seem to get around to reading and probably won't read in the future.

Then I got a piece of paper and pen and went through all my stuff and took inventory! This is the first time I've done that. Here's the result:

93 books

15 journals / workbooks

7 binders

paperwork

32 items of makeup, brushes, skin care

65 pieces of clothing

5 pieces of jewellery

Electronics:

1 iPad

1 iPhone + case

1 Apple laptop

1 Nook

1 mini speaker

1 set of earphones

5 charging devices

Shoes:

1 pair of flats

1 pair of vibrams

1 pair of slippers

Other items:

cross

rosary

veil

Vera Bradley purse

wallet

1 pair of sunglasses

1 shopping sac

1 mirror

4 clothes boxes

1 shelf

2 hat boxes

2 office supply organisers

I'm glad I did this because as I get rid of more stuff, I'll be able to measure my progress. I want to replace and let go of more clothing, books, and trim down my paperwork more.

Is minimalism something that you're interested in? If you find yourself lacking clarity around your goals or you just feel stuck, I highly recommend just getting rid of stuff. I don't even keep stuff for sentimental value. When I die, I can't take it with me anyway, so I'd rather focus on accumulating experiences instead of stuff. And the less stuff I own, the more experiences I'm freed up to have...